The NBA world has been buzzing with mock trades and rumors after it was reported that LeBron James, the greatest player of the 21st century, might not finish the season with the Los Angeles Lakers. Currently off to a slow start, the Lakers are the eighth seed in the Western Conference and are desperate to shake things up.
While there have been plenty of mock trades proposed that would add a better point guard, wing defenders and backup centers, the Lakers’ best trade chip is James. He has been linked to the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and even Sacramento Kings, but the “Kid(s) from Akron” might want to return to where it all started.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the best team in the Eastern Conference this season, but they don’t have a wing that can keep up with the Boston Celtics’ duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. While James is past his prime, he is still an elite player who would help the Cavs’ title chances while having one of the most poetic ends to a career in NBA history.
If the Lakers are serious about re-tooling around Anthony Davis, they would want a win-now player who can compliment their All-NBA big man.
In theory, a mock trade where the Cavs send Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, a first-round pick in 2031 and a swap in 2030 might be enough for the Lakers to send both Bronny and LeBron back to Ohio.
While losing Garland would certainly hurt, Donovan Mitchell has some experience running the point guard position, and James has emerged as an elite passer in recent years. The Cavs could start Mitchell, Caris LeVert, the senior James, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley without sacrificing much of their depth.
The Lakers, meanwhile, bolster their perimeter defense with Okoro and land a starting-caliber point guard to pair with Davis in the pick-and-roll. On top of that, by holding onto all their draft picks (and adding even more) and retaining D’Angelo Russell, they could make even more moves as the trade deadline approaches.
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